Department of Aging Hosts Two-Day Volunteer Conference to Engage and Recognize Network of Volunteers from across the Commonwealth

Nearly 26,000 aging network volunteers give an estimated 1.6 million hours of service a year with an estimated value of more than $53.4 million.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) this week showcased the services and resources it makes available to older Pennsylvanians during a two-day Aging Network Volunteer Conference, which presented information to individuals who give their time and talent to deliver aging services offered by PDA the Department through Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).

The Department welcomed more than 200 volunteers and staff from 47 counties to Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square for the conference, which also provided an opportunity to celebrate the work accomplished by volunteers.

“This conference is a unique forum for our volunteers to meet with their fellow volunteers from across the Commonwealth in the same program areas while engaging, recognizing and strengthening their skill sets. Our aging network couldn’t deliver the services that it does without the support of nearly 26,000 volunteers. This year’s conference theme is ‘Volunteers are Everyday Heroes,’ and the caring individuals who volunteer are heroically making a difference in older Pennsylvanians’ lives. They help older adults stay informed, healthy, independent and in their communities” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “I commend all the Pennsylvanians who devote countless hours to volunteering. I also invite anyone who may be thinking about volunteering to join our robust group of aging network volunteers. It’s an opportunity to make a difference not only in the lives of older adults, but also in their own lives.”

The Shapiro Administration and the Department’s early, bold action on behalf of older adults is reflected in the development of Aging Our Way, PA, a 10-year plan to improve the infrastructure of aging services. In early 2025, the Department launched the Comprehensive Agency Performance Evaluation (CAPE) – a complete overhaul of the Department’s system for monitoring the performance of the 52 Area Agencies on Aging. First results of the new monitoring system are now publicly available here. In May 2025, the Department will launch a comprehensive Caregiver Toolkit to support the needs of PA’s 1.5 million unpaid caregivers. Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal includes $2 million to increase accountability and oversight of the AAA network, and a $20 million investment for those AAAs so they can continue to provide key services to older adults.

The nearly 26,000 aging network volunteers across the Commonwealth donate an estimated 1.6 million hours of service a year with an estimated value of more than $53.4 million. These volunteers support PDA and its services for older adults in various program areas including PA MEDI, Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Pennsylvania Council on Aging, Health & Wellness, Senior Community Centers, Home-Delivered and Congregate Meals, Senior Companion, Foster Grandparent, Retired Senior Volunteer, Family Caregiver Support Programs, and Transportation Services.

The conference kicked off with welcoming remarks from the Honorable Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive; and Steve Rodgers, Education and Outreach Director from PDA.

The conference was also held as part of Global Volunteer Month to recognize and thank volunteers who lend their time, talent, and voice to make a difference in their communities. To commemorate this work, Acting Deputy Secretary Jonathan Bowman hosted a Volunteer Recognition Dinner to honor all volunteers and to celebrate the commitment of those who have served less than a year, and those who have served between one year and 25 years. The dinner also featured a performance by the Pittsburgh Girls Choir.  

To learn more about volunteer opportunities within the aging network or to sign up to volunteer, visit the Department of Aging's website.  

Full Article & Source:
Department of Aging Hosts Two-Day Volunteer Conference to Engage and Recognize Network of Volunteers from across the Commonwealth

Raleigh County Commission on Aging sheds light on elderly abuse

Statistics show that elderly abuse is a growing problem in the United States.

According to the National Council on Aging, one in 10 Americans ages 60 and older experience some form of abuse.

To spread awareness about this problem, the Raleigh County Commission on Aging hosted its 13th annual elderly abuse conference.

Guest speakers at the conference say there have been more cases of elderly abuse now compared to years past.

“We probably make a referral every two or three months to Health and Human Resources of something that we suspicion,” Jack Tanner, Executive Director of Raleigh County Commission on Aging, said.

But cracking down on elderly abuse is difficult. Some cases go undocumented altogether.

“Certainly in a lot of cases it goes under-reported,” Crystal Foley, a social worker at Raleigh County Commission on Aging, said. “We have a lot of cases that are reported, but it gets so under-reported that, as this last speaker was talking, for fear of retaliation.”

But elderly abuse is not just physical abuse. It’s also financial, mental and emotional abuse.

“Financial exploitation in elderly is really easy to do,” Foley said. “They’re so trusting. They get to the point where they can’t write checks anymore, they can’t see to pay their bills any longer, so they ask somebody to help them.”

Tanner says combating the problem is about education and empathy, and it starts with younger generations.

“We need to recognize the need to educate all of our young folks,” he said. “The circumstances of our elderly and what could be going on that you never have an opportunity to see.”

Foley agrees with Tanner.

“You have to know what you’re looking for,” she said. “We need to know where to report it if you do see it. There’s just a lot of things that come together to create that puzzle, and we all want those pieces to fit for everybody.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder abuse, you can call the Health and Human Services hotline at 1-800-677-1116.

Full Article & Source:
Raleigh County Commission on Aging sheds light on elderly abuse

Perceived Risk Hides Potential Upsides for Skilled Nursing Investors

The headlines for the skilled nursing sector include such uplifting topics as bankruptcies, lawsuits, and declining occupancy — to name just a few — and are enough to make any investor think twice about putting money in the industry.

But “the perceived risk is higher than actual risk” in the sector, at least according to one panel discussion at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) conference in Dallas in March.

“A long-term investor can see the bright future ahead, in that skilled nursing remains the most cost-effective option, as opposed to hospitals, for example,” Ben Firestone, senior managing director at Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors, told Skilled Nursing News. “And the government is going to continue to fund it in some way, shape or form.”

Skilled nursing compelling in long-term

Despite the headwinds in the skilled nursing industry, there may be more smoke than fire, at least with regard to risk, Frank Small, managing director of health care at private equity firm GMF Capital, said at the NIC event.

“I guess from our perspective and our experience, the perceived risk is higher than the actual risk,” he said when asked by Firestone how he explains skilled nursing headwinds to equity investors.

This is because returns remain strong, with cap rates in the sector usually coming in around 12.5%, with some fluctuations over time, Firestone explained to SNN. This compares favorably to cap rates in other commercial real estate classes such as retail, which is seeing at least as many issues as skilled nursing and far lower cap rates.

“I don’t know another asset class on a stabilized level, where you’re not changing something in the business plan, where you can reap those kind of returns,” Firestone said of skilled nursing.

Even though a recent survey from the CBRE (NYSE: CBRE) U.S. Healthcare Capital Markets Group indicated that SNFs were near the bottom of investors’ wish list for 2018, the investors Small deals with are looking at the sector from a long-term perspective, he said at the NIC conference.

“From the perspective of the capital we talk to, they’re looking at it on a 10 or 15 year basis,” Small said on the panel. “So if they look at it with HUD still available and flowing. You got a long-term asset matched with long-term liability, and the cash flow dynamic is compelling.”

Working past bad press

Even with the bad press skilled nursing has been getting over the past few years, the market is strong, Firestone told SNN.

“What the market is saying is that they’re okay accepting that risk for the returns — they’re wiling to pay for these assets,” he said. “And there is so much demand right now, not only for stabilized transactions but also non-stabilized deals… the price per bed of skilled nursing for deals that are not stabilized is actually going up.”

But the sector is undeniably a chancy one, notorious for thin margins and low reimbursement. That’s led to premium valuation for portfolios, because individual property risk can be diversified through such acquisitions, Firestone said. Though an individual property could see a performance downturn, purchasing 20 properties increases the likelihood of a downward performance being offset by others improving.

“We have diversifcation at the asset level, so that any of these individual problems that would tackle one facility’s performance financially can be offset by another’s good fortune,” Firestone said.

Operators are also a crucial part of managing the risk, Small noted at NIC.

“A lot of it… candidly, is spending a lot of time with the operator and understanding are they the right operator for that asset in that market,” he said.

Operators need incentives to provide quality care, and though the sector will have to go through “some purges and resets,” the nursing home business will not be done away with entirely, Firestone said. Investors are betting that despite short-term hits, occupancy will bounce back as the population ages, allowing good operators to survive and thrive in the medium-to-long run.

“The savvy investors out there are able to pick their spots, make bets, hedge against short-term stress or adversity, and come out victorious in the long run, with sustainable, profitable practices and portfolios and compaines that care for our aging seniors,” Firestone said.

Written by Maggie Flynn

Full Article & Source:
Perceived Risk Hides Potential Upsides for Skilled Nursing Investors

Dignity at the End Of Life: From Suffering to Hope

2969 Cahill Main, Fitchburg, WI  53711

This full-day conference boasts a line-up of exceptional speakers covering a wide range of end-of-life topics.

Things have changed dramatically within our health care. To protect yourself and your loved ones, you need to be informed. The information you receive at this conference may be life-saving and it will certainly be life-affirming.

Those that attend will hear talks on perinatal hospice, grief, compassion, hope, patient advocacy and new pathways to care by expert speakers.

Please join us and help spread the word.

Speakers

Julie Grimstad, LPN
Founder & Executive Director of Life is Worth Living
PATIENT ADVOCATES (AND BEFRIENDERS) ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED
Julie is executive director of Life is Worth Living, Inc., past chair of Pro-life Healthcare Alliance and advisor to Human Life Alliance. She is a founder and coordinator of St. John’s Befrienders, a ministry to nursing home residents and homebound elderly. A nationally-known speaker and writer, Julie addresses all aspects of medical decision-making and patient advocacy. She has served as a volunteer patient advocate for over 30 years and was director of the Center for the Rights of the Terminally Ill, Inc. Julie is a contributing writer and editor to Imposed Death: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Informed: A guide for critical medical decisions, and the PHA Monthly e-newsletter. Her articles have been published in numerous Catholic and pro-life publications as well as elsewhere.

Byron C. Calhoun, MD, FACOG, FACS, FASAM, MBA
Professor & Vice-Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, West Virginia University, Charleston, WV
PERINATAL HOSPICE: WHAT IT MEANS TO DO NO HARM-MEDICAL ETHICS AND ANOMALOUS PREGNANCIES
Dr. Byron C. Calhoun, MD, FACOG, FACS, FASAM, MBA is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and graduated from the University of Iowa Medical School with an MD. Dr. Calhoun completed his residency in OB/GYN at the University of Missouri-Columbia and finished a Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Calhoun is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with board certification in general Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the sub-specialty of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He is also board certified in Addictions Medicine. He has authored 85 peer review articles in the obstetric and gynecologic literature, presented over 100 scientific papers, and has published numerous articles on medical aspects of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Calhoun serves as Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at West Virginia University-Charleston. Dr. Calhoun and his wife, Kathryn, have five children and 2 lovely granddaughters.

Mark Davis Pickup
Pro-Life Speaker
JOURNAL THROUGH GRIEF OF DISEASE TOWARD MEANING: A CASE STUDY
Mark Pickup’s life and testimony speak volumes about the profound meaning that can be found in human suffering and limitation, through relationship with Jesus Christ. Mark, who has advanced multiple sclerosis and is wheelchair dependent, will share the story of his journey from despair to hope as he found meaning through his Christian faith. He reminds us that everyone suffering needs the support of a significant community to overcome their fears of pain and powerlessness.

Ramón Luzárraga, PhD
Assistant Professor of Theology and Division Chair of Undergraduate Studies at Benedictine University in Mesa, Arizona
COMPASSION AS ACCOMPANIMENT WITH THOSE WHO SUFFER: A ROMAN CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SUFFERING
Ramón Luzárraga is Assistant Professor of Theology and Division Chair of Undergraduate Studies at Benedictine University in Mesa, Arizona. He holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School, and a PhD in systematic theology and ethics from Marquette University. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Moral Theology, the only Roman Catholic journal devoted to that subject. He also convened the moral theology group for the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Latino ethics group in the Society of Christian Ethics, a member of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States. He has written articles for references works and book reviews concerning moral and systematic theology.

Cristen Krebs, DNP, ANP-BC
Founder and Executive Director of Catholic Hospice Pittsburgh
HOSPICE CARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Cristen is the founder and executive director Catholic Hospice, graduated from Robert Morris University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program and has twenty-five years of end-of-life care experience. After years in the field of oncology and hospice nursing, she became disheartened with the trend of hospices becoming more business oriented than patient focused. Dr. Krebs began the first faith-based, nonprofit hospice program and first free-standing hospice serving residence in southwest Pennsylvania. Dr. Krebs embraces the prolife health care philosophy and spearheads education for both health care professionals and health care consumers.

Nan & Edward Weber
Founders of Holy Family Ministry Center and Loreto on the Plains
FINDING NEW PATHWAYS TO CARE FOR THE ELDERLY, THE SICK AND TERMINALLY ILL (A STORY OF FAITH IN ACTION – WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE)
Ed and Nan are founders of Loreto on the Plains Personal Care Home (an outreach of the Holy Family Ministry Center) whose mission is to care for those who are sick and terminally ill through respite care, transitional care and end-of-life care. They also educate the laity with the truth about end of life issues. Ed and Nan founded the Holy Family Ministry Center “for the Renewal and the Restoration of the family and Catholic Family Life through the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.”
Ed and Nan are both spiritual directors and Secular Franciscans. They have experience in Marriage Encounter, inner healing prayer and Rachael’s Vineyard (a post-abortion healing retreat and prison ministry).
Nan has a BA in Education, taught for four years and homschooled for 13 years before earning her LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) at the age of 65. Ed has a BS in Engineering and is a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant). Ed and Nan have ten daughters, 45 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

 

Conference Schedule

 

8:30 a.m.	Registration
9 a.m.	Welcome – Dr. Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
9:15 a.m.	Ramón Luzárraga, PhD – Compassion as Accompaniment with Those who Suffer: a Roman Catholic Understanding of Suffering
10 a.m.	Julie Grimstad, LPN – Patient Advocates (and Befirenders) are Desperately Needed
10:45 a.m.	Break
11 a.m.	Mark Davis Pickup – Journal Through Grief of Disease Toward Meaning: A Case Study
11:45 a.m.	Q and A
12:15 p.m.	Lunch
1 p.m.	Nan & Edward Weber – Finding New Pathways to Care For the Elderly, the Sick and Terminally Ill
2 p.m.	Cristen Krebs, DNP, ANP-BC – Hospice Care in the 21st Century
2:45 p.m.	Break
3 p.m.	Dr. Byron Calhoun, MD, FACOG, FACS, FASAM, MBA – Perinatal Hospice: What it Means to Do No Harm-Medical Ethics and Anomalous Pregnancies
3:45 p.m.	Panel
4:30 p.m.	Closing

Register online at:
https://www.humanlife.org/product/dignity-life/

SPONSORED BY

Pro-life Healthcare Alliance (a program of Human Life Alliance) & Wisconsin Catholic Medical Guilds

 
Source:
Dignity at the End Of Life: From Suffering to Hope

What The Great Thinkers About Aging Are Thinking

The Economist’s jam-packed San Francisco conference Wednesday on The Business of Longevity (Next Avenue was a supporting association) had a tinge of irony. That day, the National Center for Health Statistics released a report stating that U.S. life expectancy had declined for the first time since 1993.

But the conference’s theme prevailed: The way we all think about longevity needs to broaden if businesses and consumers are to have meaningful success in the future.

The high-powered gathering featured world-renowned experts ranging from Next Avenue 2016 Influencers in Aging David Lindeman (director of the Center for Technology and Aging) and Paul Irving (chairman of the Milken Institute for the Future of Aging) to biochemist J. Craig Venter (co-founder and CEO of Human Longevity and one of the first to sequence the human genome).

Panelists offered their insights and challenges to the roughly 200 attendees on key aspects of aging — from the latest disruptive technologies to how other nations are approaching the needs of their elder communities.

“We need to stay human — and in a technology society, that can be hard,” said Lindeman. Then, challenging the audience, he added: “We need the brightest minds to start tackling the biggest issues we have around policy.”

Highlights from the conference:

The Need to Redefine Longevity

Thomas Goetz, co-founder and CEO of Iodine — a health technology company whose mission is to turn medical research data into tools for ordinary people to make better decisions about their health — noted that longevity and health care are typically seen as the same thing. But, Goetz, said, they’re not. “Longevity is so much more,” noted Goetz.

He urged the audience to look at the bigger picture and recognize that personal longevity is impacted by our financial situation, social environment and institutional policies.

Many panelists echoed this viewpoint. They were particularly cheered by Wednesday’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement that will affect the nation’s 30 million older Americans suffering from hearing loss. Effective immediately, the FDA said it no longer requires adults to receive a medical evaluation or sign a waiver before buying most hearing aids. This news may help prove Goetz’s point that aging solutions are not purely medical in nature.

The announcement was heralded among conference participants as the type of new thinking needed around the definition of “aging products,” as well as a prime example of how institutional polices need to adapt to longevity realities.

What Leads to Financial Problems of Older People

As one session’s panelists noted that wealthy Americans live longer, on average, than those who are economically strained, there was considerable discussion of the factors that can lead to financial problems for older people.

One consensus view: The traditional retirement age of 65 is a “false age” that creates financial stress.

As more of us live into our 80s and 90s, the economics of a two- or three-decade retirement are simply not feasible anymore for most people.

Workers need to plan and save for retirement at earlier ages, the experts agreed. But the speakers also felt employers must play a more significant role in the new reality of aging. Flexible retirement ages, transitional work options and job creation for people over 65 were all cited as examples of what should be on the to-do list at businesses and nonprofits.

Jacquelyn James, co-director of Boston College’s Center on Aging & Work, lamented results from her center’s survey showing that many employers don’t have the aging workforce and its unique needs on the “company agenda.” She also cited workers’ conundrum of discussing retirement options with employers. Most people, James said, are afraid to signal any interest in leaving the workforce.

This prevents the collaboration between employers and employees that is imperative to drive change.

Full Article & Source:
What The Great Thinkers About Aging Are Thinking

New Jersey Police to Be Trained on Elder Law Prevention

New Jersey Police are now being trained in elder law prevention, and over 140 officers in law enforcement from a variety of departments throughout the state were able to attend a two-day conference that was designed to teach them how to protect, as well as assist, elderly citizens in their communities. The hope is that elder law attorneys, such as those at Garcia Law, will be needed much less often for cases of abuse of seniors. 

What Was Taught?

The two-day conference that so many NJ law enforcement officers throughout the state attended was designed to effectively teach them how to easily and quickly recognize the various signs that are associated with the abuse of seniors. These include not only physical signs of abuse, but also psychological signs of abuse, and the signs of financial abuse of the elderly. 

The Conference

The conference, which is called the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference, was sponsored by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and it was held in early September at the Middlesex County Fire Academy in Sayreville. 

Andrew C. Carey, who is the Middlesex County Prosecutor, stated that law enforcement officers from every one of the 28 police agencies throughout his county, as well as police officers from the Piscataway Police Department, attended the conference to learn what they could do to keep the elderly safe and to recognize signs of elder abuse. 

A Variety of Speakers to Learn From

There were over 20 guest speakers at the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference, and they were able to discuss a wide range of important topics that were designed to assist police officers and law enforcement officials in their ability to recognize abuse and help senior citizens. The goal of every talk was to teach the officers the many ways that seniors can be abused, from physically to financially, by the caretakers that they should be able to trust. 

Even though there were many talented speakers at this special event, the keynote speaker for the conference was Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood. He is from the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, and he is the leader of that particular agency’s own Elder Abuse Protection Unit, so he has a lot of knowledge to share to NJ officers who want to follow suit. 

A Twofold Approach

To combat elder abuse, and to tackle the financial exploitation of the elderly, police officers need to have two main goals in mind. The first would be to provide support, as well as identify the resources that are available to senior citizens and their caretakers. The second goal would be to thoroughly investigate and prosecute the individuals who commit illegal acts against the elderly when there are signs of crimes being committed. 

Ultimately, this conference was an engaging and educational one, and it is proof that New Jersey police officers will now be able to detect the signs of elder abuse much more easily and help senior citizens throughout the state get the help that they need and deserve.

Full Article & Source:
New Jersey Police to Be Trained on Elder Law Prevention 

Code Blue Conference - Breaking the Code of Silence

Name:
Code Blue Conference-Breaking the Code of Silence

Date:
October 17, 2016 - October 19, 2016

Website:
http://www.codeblueconference.com

Event Description:
Educational conference that will equip, and inform patient safety advocates across the country with new ideas on strategic and effective ways to combat medical errors. Bringing bright minds together who have a passion for change, passion for justice, and a passion for patient safety.

Location:
Hotel Galvez Resort & Spa 2024 Seawall Boulevard Galveston, TX 77550

Date/Time Information:
October 17-19, 2016 4:00PM- 12 noon on the 10/19/16

Contact Information:
Deirdre D. Gilbert (832) 488-5765

Fees/Admission:
$125 registration fee $129 Hotel fee

Ageism: A Call to Awareness*

An Introduction from Ashton Applewhite on Vimeo.

The performer steps on stage. From the front row I am captivated. Her charisma is infectious; I am hanging on every word. I feel like I am at a TED Talk -- I am not. I am at BOOM! The first conference of Boomers Leading Change in Health in Denver, Colorado. This conference is geared towards baby boomers who see the upside of aging and delivers the call to action of, "It's time to change the world again!" I am listening to Ashton Applewhite, anti-ageism author and activist. (Watch a clip of her above and learn more here!) I am listening to her talk about growing old and I am inspired.

How refreshing it was, to be surrounded by people being curious about aging and allowing for the possibility of an upside.

We are all, each and every day of our lives aging. While it may be a profitable industry, to be "anti-aging" is a physical impossibility while alive. Listening to Ashton constellated something in me.

Age is a criterion for diversity just like gender, sexual orientation or race. As with these other factors, there is rampant discrimination based on age. Much of this discrimination is internalized. In her talk Ashton Applewhite wondered why when older people lose keys we call it a senior moment, but when it happened in high school we didn't call it a junior moment. The answer? Ageism. 

This internalized ageism is reinforced by our culture at large as well. Age is a diversity factor which will render all humans in the minority culture, many of us twice at the two ends of our lives. We all have ideas of what we are expected to do at a given age and what we expect from others at their ages.

These generalizations can add order and efficiency to our lives but they also lead to pigeonholing and discrimination when we do not follow the set patterns or when our appearance does not match our calendar age. The best way to decrease stigma and discrimination in through awareness. 

Ageism is insidious because it is largely unconscious, it is time for that to change!

I give you the asterisk.

The asterisk denotes that there is more to something. In writing it is used to send the reader to a footnote for further explanation. Let's add an asterisk to age. Our years on this planet are important, age is not something to be hidden or lied about, but it is something to add an asterisk to: there is more to the story than the assumptions that come with a number.

Put the asterisk by your name in an email signature, next to your age anytime you are asked to give it, on business cards, in store windows on bumper stickers and when possible have a paragraph explaining it so others can follow suit (see an example below). Let the asterisk become a symbol that age is a number of years spent on the planet AND that there is more to be said, our number of years does not define our life, our value, who we are or how we deserve to be treated.

The asterisk says to be curious about this human who has an age but isn't their age.

*This asterisk symbolizes my belief and commitment that humans are more than their age and that stereotypes and discriminations based on age need to be challenged within our own psyches and the world!

Full Article & Source:
Ageism: A Call to Awareness*

Conference to focus on growing need, challenges for guardians for elderly Montanans

BILLINGS -- With Montana's population aging rapidly — a quarter will be 65 years or older by 2030, making it the fifth oldest state in the U.S. — the need for services for that population is growing as well.

Big Sky Senior Services will host the Navigating the Challenges of Guardianships conference Oct. 22 in Billings in an effort to educate professionals and the community on issues like guardianships and conservatorships, living wills and power of attorney, and dementia and capacity issues.

"What we hope to accomplish is to help people gain a better understanding of what’s involved in a guardianship and a conservatorship," said Denise Armstrong, executive director of Big Sky Senior Services.

A guardianship is a legal relationship that allows one person, often a family member or other close acquaintance, to make decisions for another relating mostly to medical and personal issues, while a conservator manages mainly property and financial affairs, Armstrong said. In both cases, a doctor must first sign off that a person doesn't have the capacity to make those decisions on their own.

Big Sky Senior Services is a Billings-based group working to enhance the quality of senior citizens' lives and prevent elder abuse. It also runs various related programs and operates the state's only guardianship council.

The all-day conference is geared toward professionals — such as medical personnel, law enforcement officials or attorneys — who may deal with such matters on the job for the first half, followed by lunch and afternoon sessions focusing more on family members and others who are or could be guardians, as well as senior citizens.

"Our main goal, really, is to prevent elder abuse," said Val Young, Big Sky Senior Service's training and outreach coordinator.

It will include breakdowns of various roles and titles and how those relationships work, information on potential frauds and scams and a keynote lunchtime presentation on how to start a successful statewide guardianship program from Diana Noel, senior legislative representative for the AARP in Washington, D.C.

"We’re working with a legislative interim committee to get some kind of state guardianship program established," Armstrong.

Montana does not currently have state standards for guardianship services or training for court officials and guardians and advocates are working with the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee to study the issue and could eventually develop new legislation.

Getting those standards in place and educating both the public and professionals are key steps in preventing people from taking advantage of senior citizens who need help and ensuring they get necessary care, Armstrong said.

"With this aging population we have in the state, every day we hear more and more stories," she said. 

"There's so much potential for financial exploitation and even elder abuse. We want to take this out to a bigger level. The more prepared we are and more proactive we can be on this, the better off we'll be."

Full Article & Source:
Conference to focus on growing need, challenges for guardians for elderly Montanans

The White House Conference on Aging - WHCOA

We’re late, we’re late, we’re very, very late. For at least two years now, many senior organizations and advocates have been trying to get someone’s attention to focus on the next White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA).

President Truman held a National Conference on Aging in 1950. This was followed by a White House Conference on Aging being held in 1961, 1971, 1981, 1995, and 2005. At least four of these five conferences were preceded by legislation three to five years before.

President Truman held a National Conference on Aging in 1950. This was followed by a White House Conference on Aging being held in
1961, 1971, 1981, 1995, and 2005.

This history would suggest that the next WHCoA should be held in 2015 and it could also mean that we are already quite late in planning for the next conference.

The purpose of these conferences is to make recommendations to the President and the Congress concerning the aged. Considering the current major issues like Social Security reform and Medicare which directly affect all Senior Citizens, it is more important than ever to seek advice from the elders. A WHCoA next year would provide that opportunity.

....I don’t know whether this is too little, too late, or not. By the time you read this article, half of this year will be behind us.

Full Article and Source:
The White House Conference on Aging - WHCOA

Tonight on T.S. Radio: Marcia Southwick Reports on International Guardianship Convention

Marcia Southwick joins us to report on the convention held last week covering guardianship.  Attendees came from various perspectives and countries.

The convention was sponsored by the BAR Association and the National Guardianship Association, among many other "stakeholders".  Both groups, whose activities are diametrically opposed to their stated purposes, had intended the convention to be a huge marketing campaign.

Attending with the intentions of highlighting the real state of guardianship for profit, was Marcia Southwick and Elaine Renoire from NASGA.  Many other advocates and activists, many of whom have been directly impacted by predatory, court facilitated guardianships, were also in attendance.

5:00 pm PST … 6:00 pm MST … 7:00 pm CST … 8:00 pm EST

LISTEN LIVE or listen to the archive later

See Also:
Boomers Against Elder Abuse on Facebook

Linda Kincaid Reports: American Public Health Association on Elder Abuse in Monterey County, California

The American Public Health Association annual conference draws public health experts from around the country. In November 2013, about 13,000 public health researchers, practitioners, and policy makers met in Boston to discuss best practices. Attendees discussed formation of a Special Primary Interest Group (SPIG) to address civil rights and violations of rights in conservatorship.

A session titled Civil Rights: Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness into the Golden Years? discussed abusive conservatorships in California. Margarita Zelada and her case history were the center of attention.

In September 2012, the Monterey County Public Guardian seized Margarita’s $9K/month income and $1.5M estate. She was left destitute and unable to provide for her basic needs.

On March 9, 2013, the Public Guardian seized Margarita’s person as well. Witnesses tell of a night of terror when Margarita was dragged from her daughter’s home screaming for help.

According to neighbor and private duty nurse Tara Robinson, ten Pacific Grove police officers stormed the home with guns drawn and leveled at Margarita’s daughter, Patricia Conklin. The officers dragged Margarita from her bed, rolled her in a sheet, strapped her to a gurney, and carried her to a waiting ambulance.

The nurse said Margarita’s screams were the most horrible sounds she ever heard. Officers admitted they had no warrant to enter the home or seize Margarita. Pacific Grove police reports indicate the siege was the result of allegations by Deputy Public Guardian Jennifer Empasis.

Full Article and Source:
American Public Health Association on Elder Abuse in Monterey, California